Why does a plucked unripe fruit ripen?

In some cases, it becomes necessary to pick fruits unripe. This is true when the fruits need to be preserved during long-term transportation. Such a measure will save them from pests or adverse weather conditions. At the same time, fruits do not lose their beneficial properties, they have excellent taste qualities.

One of the most famous cases in this story is tomatoes that turn red on a newspaper, or for example bananas that turn yellow in a "gas chamber".

The main reason for the ripening of plucked fruits is this ...

The process occurs under the influence of the hormone ethylene, a gas of plant origin (soluble in water), which fruits generate on their own. It has a second name: "hormone of ripeness." Ethylene stimulates metabolic processes, due to which the fruits acquire a natural color, sweetness, softness and juiciness.

This hormone was discovered by our botanist Dmitry Nelyubov in the last century. Since it is produced and absorbed directly by the fruit, it is not necessary for the fruit to remain on the tree until it is fully ripe. The plucked fruit sometimes ripens even faster, as the lack of moisture increases the production of ethylene.

Which gathered fruits ripen and which do not?

Apple, mango, banana, avocado, pear, apricot are considered susceptible to the hormone. These fruits emit gas on their own, due to which they ripen. They are recommended to be stored with other fruits to speed up their ripening. Sensitive to ethylene: quince, persimmon, plums, pineapples.

Fruits less susceptible to the hormone: pomegranate, figs, grapes. These fruits can only ripen on a tree, subject to the supply of moisture and nutrients. Fruits of the latter group do not ripen under the influence of ethylene, on the contrary, it activates the aging process, as a result of which they deteriorate.

Conditions for ripening plucked fruits

The gathered fruits are placed in dark paper or wooden boxes. They should be taken away in a dark room with a temperature not exceeding 22 C and not lower than 20 degrees. Fruit, depending on the variety, emit and absorb different amounts of ethylene. At temperatures above the optimum, the ripening of the fruits is accelerated, but at the same time they become soft, with flabby skin.

The sun rays speed up the process greatly, but the fruits lose their elasticity and juiciness, and in some cases dark spots appear on them. Therefore, such storage conditions are not suitable if the fruits are planned to be subsequently sold. In a cold room, maturation will take longer.

Storage compatibility

The right neighborhood is important. Apples emit ethylene more than others, so they are stored separately. To speed up the ripening process, it is recommended to put these fruits next to other green fruits. The container must be exclusively made of paper or wood. It is not recommended to use plastic bags for storage, since the condensate that forms in them stimulates decay.

For commercial use, modern technologies are used. Fruits are plucked unripe and placed in special cabins, into which ethylene is supplied in small doses. Almost all fruits on the shelves in winter are processed in such chambers.

Green fruits are able to ripen plucked, subject to the temperature regime and other storage recommendations. This is possible, since the fruits continue to support life processes independently.

The main factor stimulating the ripening of fruits plucked from a tree is ethylene, or the “ripeness hormone”. The ripening rate depends on the storage conditions. In a bright, warm place, with the right neighborhood, this process is accelerated greatly. The same effect will be if one ripe fruit is placed among green fruits.